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(No Model.) C. OETTEL, Deod.

C* KARP, Administraton 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

MECHANICAL AGGORDION.

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ATTORNEYS (No Model.) G'. OETTBL Deod.

G. KARP, Administrator. 3 sheets`sheet 2' MECHANICAL AGGORDION.

Nol-329,408, x3 Patented Oct. 27. 1885.

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(No Model.)

WITNBSSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL OETTEL, OF GOHLIS, NEAR LEIPSIO, SAXONY, GERMANY; CARL KARP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID OETTEL, DEOEASED.

MECHANICAL ACCORDION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent; No. 329,408, dated October 27,1885.

. Application filed November 6, 1883. Serial No. 110,995. (No model.) Patented in Germany February 23, 1883, No. 24,405, and in Austria-Hungary Juno 14, 1883,N0.1,161 and No. 1,128.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL OETTEL, a subject of the Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, residing at the city of Gohlis, near Leipsic, in the Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accordions, (for which I have obtained patents in Germany, No. 24,405, bearing date February 23, 1883, and in Austria-Hungary, Vol. 33, folio 1,161, and Vol. 17, folio 1,128, bearing vdate June 14, 1883,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to such improvements in accordions that different tunes can be played thereon without any special practice, and by which the ordinary accordion is changed into a mechanical musical instrument, in which one hand operates the bellows, while the other hand, instead of actuating` the keys, imparts a regular rotating motion of a cylinder-barrel, by which the valve-levers of the reeds are actuated and the tunes produced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents au end elevation of my improved accordion. Fig. 2is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line m x, Fig. 2, Fig. 4, a vertical longitudinal section on line y y, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a detail horizontal section on line c e, Fig. 3, showing the motion-transmitting mechanism for the cylinderbarrel; and Fig. 6 a horizontal section through the whole instrument, taken on line c c and k k, Figs. 1 and 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A in the drawings represents the bellows of an accordion, to one end of which is applied the end plate, B, having a strapped handle, B', for the left hand, said handle being provided with valved openings b for the admission of the-air to the interior of the bellows A. To the other end of the bellows A is applied aboxshaped casing, C, the outer endwall of which is provided with the usual handle, a, and thumb-strap a for the right hand, and with a curved lever-handle, D, the shaft D of which is passed through the outer wall of the box C and supported in suitable bearings of the box O, in close proximity to the handle a, so as to be conveniently taken hold of by the fingers of the right hand, while the palm holds the handle and the thumb in the strap of the same. The shaft D of the leverhandle D is connected with a suitable motiontransmitting mechanism which is arranged at the inside of the box C and operated by the oscillations of the lever-handle D, so that rotary motion is imparted to a cylinder-barrel,

E, that turns in suitable bearings at the interior supporting-walls, C', of the box C. The inner end wall of the box O next adjoining the bellows A is provided with a series of openings, b, and reeds b2, which latter extend into the bellows A, as shown clearly in Fig. 6. The cylinder-barrel E is provided at its circumference, in the same manner as the cylinders of music-boxes, with a series of project` ing pins or staples, e, that engage projecting pins f at the ends of fulcrumed valve-levers F, which carry at their opposite ends the valves b3,`by which the openings b of the interior end wall of the box C are opened and closed, so that the wind from the bellows is forced through the reeds and the latter thereby sounded. The ends of the valve-levers F, near the barrel E, are kept by spiral or other springs, f, in contact with the barrel E, so as to keep the valves b3 closed until the valvelevers F are actuated by the pins and staples ofthe cylinder-barrel E, and thereby the valves opened.

The mechanism by which a continuous rotary motion is imparted to the cylinder-barrel E is shown clearly in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. It consists of a fixed crank, d, at the inner end of the shaft D', which crank is connected by a pivot-rod, d, to the crank-pin d2 of a disk, da, that turns loosely on ahorizontal shaft, d", that is supported on suitable bearings at the interior of the box C, above the upper end of the cylinder-barrel E. A spring-pawl, d5, is pivoted to the disk d3, and held in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, du, that is keyed to the shaft d The oscillating leverhandle D, crank d, connecting-rod d', disk d3,

tent rotary motion to the shaft d". As soon as the lever-handle D is released, it is moved away from the handle a by the action of a spiral spring, d?, which is connected to the crank d and the top wall of the box C. The oscillating motion of the lever-handle D and its crank d is limited in one direction by the handle a of the box C, and in the other direction against the action of the spring di by a stop-cord, d8, that is attached to the inner bearing of the shaft of the lever-handle D and to a point near the outer end of the crank d, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. rllhe stop-cord di also prevents the connecting crank-rod d from passing beyond the vertical center line of the disk di. By the return motion of the crank d the disk d and its pawl d5 turn loosely on the shaft d" clear of the ratchet-wheel d, and are placed in position so as to be ready to engage the ratchet-wheel with the next oscillation of the lever-handle D.

The shaft (1*, to which intermittent rotary motion is imparted, as described, is provided with a worm, d?, that meshes with a wormwheel, d1", on the shaft of the cylinder-barrel E. A second bevelwheel, d, of shaft d* meshes with a bevel-pinion, all, on a short vertical shaft, d1, which passes through an opening in the top wall of the box C, and carries a balance-wheel, D2, at the outer end. The balance-wheel D2 serves to impart by its momentum continuous rotary motion to the horizontal shaft d" during the return oscillations of the lever-handle D.

In place of the mechanism described, by which the oscillating motion of the lever-handle D imparts continuous rotary motion to the cylinder-barrel E, any other equivalent mechanism may be used, as I do not confine myself to the special construction shown. The bex C is further provided, at its outer end wall,with a lid, G2, and with means for locking it to the end wall, the lid and the side v walls of the box C having also suitably-arranged openings for the escape of the sounds. The shaft of the cylinder-barrel E is supported in bearings of theinterior horizontal walls, C', of box C in such a manner that the cylinderbarrel can be removed therefrom, so that it can be replaced by another barrel on which pins and staples for different tunes are arranged. For this purpose the walls C are provided with hinged retaining-strips g, which are locked in position by pivoted catch-hooks g', as shown in Fig. 3. Vhen the hooks g are released from the hinged strips g, the latter can he thrown back so that the barrel E can be removed from its bearings. Vhen the strips g are locked by the eatchhook g', the barrel is firmly held with its pins in proper relative position to the pins f of the Valvelevers F, so as to actuate the latter in a reliable manner. The shaft of the barrel E can be vertically moved in the bearings of the interior walls, C, by means of ashifting--frame, El, the projecting ends c2 ofv which engage'the c ends of the barrel E so as to shift the same for a small distance and bring the pins representing another tune in the proper relative position to the pinsf of the valvelevers. The shifting-frame E2 is guided by end slots, c, along fixed pins c4 of the partition-strips C'. It is connected by pins c5, passing through a slot of the outer wall of the casing C to an exterior slide-plate, c, that is provided with a small handle or button, c7, by which the shifting-frame E2 is moved from the outside. rEhe slide-plate e is provided at one side with as many recesses or notches cB as there are systems of pins arranged on the barrel E, the notches being at such a distance from each other as is required to shift the different systems of pins on the barrel to the proper relative position toward the pins of the valvelevers F. The cylinder-barrel E is locked into proper position after it has been shifted by means of a curved lever, G, which is fulcrumed to one of the interior walls C of the box C and extended through a slot in the end wall of the same to the outside. rlhe outer end of the lever G engages one of the notches @sof the exterior slide-plate, e, ofthe shiftingfra-me E2 and locks thereby the barrel E. The inner end of the fulcrumed lever bears on a pivoted and spring actuated frame, F, to which the valve-levers F are fulcrumed.

For the purpose of setting the cylinderbarrel E into proper position to play any desired tune, the lever G is moved sidewise so that its outer end clears the recesses e8 of the slide-plate e, by which motion the inner end of the lever G presses upon the frame F of the valve-levers F and moves the latter away from the barrel E, so that the pins of the valve-levers F clear the pins and staples of the cylinderbarrel E. The cylinder-barrel E is then shifted up or down by means of the button c7 on exterior plate, c, and the lever G then moved into one of the next recesses of the plate e, according to the tune that is desired to be played. The frame Fl of the valve-levers F is thereby released and the valve-levers brought back into their proper relative position to the cylinder-barrel E, so that the latter can actuate the valves when it is set in motion by the lever-handle D, and thereby the valves be opened or closed, according to the disposition of the pins and staples on the barrel. In this manner any number of tunes may be played on the laccordion by simply providing the required number ofcylinder-barrels. No special skill is required to play the same, as all that is necessary is to regulate the admission ofthe air at the valves at one end of the instrument, and to keep the oscillating lever-handle at the other end properly in motion.

The proper time in which the tunes are to be played can be controlled'to some extent by oscillating the lever handle too quickly or slowly, and varying thereby the speed of the cylinder-barrel.

I am aware that mechanical musical instruments in the form of accordions in which the IOU IIO

mechanism is actuated by a cord extended to the outside of the box are not new.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In an accordion, the combination, with the bellows, of an inclosing-box at one end of the same, having reeds and valve-levers, and provided with an exterior handle or thumbstrap, a cylinder-barrel located within the box and having a num ber of pins and staples for actuating` the valve-levers, an exterior oscillating lever-handle arranged adjacent to said handle or thumb-strap, and intermediate mechanism by which a continuous rotary motion is imparted to the cylinder-barrel by the oscillations of the lever-handle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an accordion, the combination of the bellows, an inclosing-box, a cylinder-barrel located within the box, bearings for supporting the shaft of the same, a vertically-guided shifting-frame engaging the barrel, and means arranged at the exterior of the box and connected to the shifting-frame, so as to set the latter and the cylinder barrel, substantially as set forth.

3. In an accordion, the combination of a bellows, A, a box, C, having interior walls, G, a rotating cylinder-barrel, E, supported in bearings of the Walls C', a vertically-guided shifting-frame, E, engaging the barrel, an exterior slide-plate, e6, connected to the shiftingframe and having side recesses, e, and a fnlcrumed lever, G, that is set into one of the 3 5 recesses e8 of the slide-plate, so as to lock the cylinder-barrel into proper position, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in an accordion, of a bellows, A, a box, C, having reeds and valve- 4o levers, a rotating cylinder-barrel, E, a pivoted and spring-actuated frame, F, valve-levers F, fulcrumed to frame F', and a fulcrumed leverhandle, G, extending from the pivoted frame F to the outside of the box,so that the valve- 45 levers may be moved clear of the cylinderbarrel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in an accordion, of a bellows, A, a box, C, at one end of the same, said box having reeds and valve-levers, a pivoted and spring pressed frame, F,valvelevers F,fulcrumed to the frame F, a rotating cylinder, E, a vertically-guided shifting-frame, E?, engaging the barrel, an exterior slide-plate, es, having a handle, el, and side recesses, es, and a fulcrumed locking-lever, G, that extends from the frame of the valve-levers to the outside and is adapted to beset into one of the recesses of the slide-plate e, so as to lock the cylinder-barrel in position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL OETTEL.

Vitnesses:

A. MHLE, B. Roi. 

